In Flower this Week

A weekly news sheet prepared by a Gardens' volunteer.
Numbers in square brackets [] refer to garden bed Sections.
Plants in flower are in bold type.

11 February 2005

Rhododendron lochiae
- click for larger image

This is a short walk abounding with colourful flowers to suit those with little
time. On entering the gardens throught the main gates, the expanse of grasses
with tall graceful nodding ochre flower heads is mostly of the kangaroo grass,
Themeda australis [Section 175]. In the pots at the entrance
to the Visitors Centre, plants include Rhododendron lochiae with
bright red trumpet flowers on a low spreading shrub and a ground cover Goodenia
sp. with bright yellow flowers. These are seen below the large arching
fronds of the Birds Nest Fern, Asplenium australasicum. Against
the wall a wattle, Acacia mollifolia [Section 221] is a tall,
slender shrub reaching towards the path, with fine divided velvety leaves and
sprays of golden fluffy flower balls.

The background to the statue of Sir Joseph Banks is Banksia serrata
[Section 172], tall with dark foliage and large cylindrical green-grey flower
spikes seen mostly at the tops of these shrubs. Banks Walk is edged with numerous,
still colourful, kangaroo paws. They include AnigozanthosBush
Dawn [Section 210] with bright yellow paw flowers on long
bare stems, AnigozanthosBush Noon [Section
210] with yellow-orange coloured flowers and AnigozanthosBush
Glow [Section 210] with flowers coloured red. Prostrate and brilliant,
ScaevolaNew Blue [Section 210, 174] have vivid
blue flowers along the dense trailing stems. Below the notice Add colour
to your garden  with Australian Plants is another prostrate plant,
Pelargonium rodneyanum [Section 174] with attractive magenta coloured
flowers over the suckering plant.

Anigozanthos 'Bush
Glow' - click for larger image

At the corner the attractive small shrubs, CroweaFestival
[Section 174] are clad with pink star flowers. In the crescent garden, a suckering
herb, Brachyscome formosa [Section 174] bears mauve daisies and
Goodenia humilis [Section 174] is small and mounded with its yellow
flowers to complement. Dampiera sylvestris [Section 174] is close
by with its blue flowers on upright stems. Opposite and in the centre of the
garden the glorious orange-red flowers crowning the Eucalyptus ficifolia
[Section 174] could not be missed. Cross over the car park to the Tasmanian
Section where probably many Gippsland Water Dragons, Physignathus lesueurii
howittii [Section 149] can be seen basking in the sun. Entering this section,
the NSW Christmas Bush, Ceratopetalumgummiferum
[Section 142] displays its renowned reddened swollen calyces which followed
the tiny white flowers, mostly at the top of the tall shrub.

This next section is in front of the Café building in the Ellis Rowan Garden
where the GrevilleaDeua Flame [Section 131]
is a rather dense shrub which dangles its lovely red terminal flower clusters
from pendulous branches. Opposite, a grouping of Crowea Coopers
Hybrid [Section 240] is floriferous with its shade of pink star flowers.
On the opposite side of this garden is a colourful patch containing Goodenia
macmillanii [Section 240] with small upright stems of pink flowers,
surrounded by ScaevolaNewBlue [Section
240], with its flowers so blue and behind, Senecio sturtianum
[Section 240] with deep purple flowers and grey-green foliage on upright stems.